A slightly different take on the sport

Lewis storms to Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole

After an incredible last lap, Lewis Hamilton claimed his 66th career pole position to move into second on the all-time pole list.

It is Hamilton’s first pole in Baku, the fifth of the 2017 season, and his seventh in 10 races.

Valtteri Bottas will start from P2, as the Silver Arrows took a second front-row lockout of 2017. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen rolled in third.

Lewis Hamilton: “My pole lap in Montreal was pretty special, but I think this one here tops that. My first run in Q3 was actually really good, but I was a bit greedy into the last corner, locked up and cost myself time. After the red flag, there was a lot of pressure on that final lap.

“All weekend we’ve struggled to switch the car on over a single lap, but it was an all or nothing moment so I just gave it everything I had. Valtteri was on a great lap as well, so when I came across the line and saw that I had pole, it was such a good feeling. Even if that time had only been enough for P2 it was a lap to be proud of.

“We were struggling yesterday but we made a lot of changes overnight. A big thank you to the team who stayed late last night to get the car to where it is today – they did a fantastic job.”